Archive for Soup – Page 2

With Winter on it’s way and Hurricane Sandy about to hit the East Coast I thought I’d post about a fabulous hearty soup I made. This is a great recipe to have handy, because I usually always have all the ingredients on hand. For this recipe, I found myself inspired in Trader Joe’s. (Have you gotten your copy of the Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook I contributed to?) I love all the interesting and unique products they carry that all come with a little sense of humor. I found myself with a package in my hands of “17 bean and barley mix”. The bag had a picture of a man leading a cow and an old woman saying “Joe, this time if you sell the cow, don’t settle for less than 17 beans”. It’s humorous little touches like this that make me want to shop there. So I bought my bean mix and here is the soup I made. If there is no Trader Joe’s close to you, you can easily sub out for a pound of your favorite beans.

17 Bean and Barley Soup

Serves 6-8

What you’ll need:

1 package (1 lb.) 17 beans and barley mix

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like a kick)

a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

If you have enough planning sense to soak the beans overnight than do so, or you can “quick soak” by combining the beans and 8 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low so they are are simmering and let simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let soak for an hour. Drain.

In a large stock pot, saute the onions, garlic, and carrots for about 5 minutes in a couple tablespoons of olive oil with a pinch of salt. When the carrots begin to feel tender add in the broth, (drained) beans, oregano, and cayenne. Let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Serve warm topped with some freshly chopped parsly and some warm crusty bread.

I don’t know about you, but I love that it’s finally Fall in Southern California! Right around this time, I start to freeze and jar seasonal fruits and veggies to store up for wintertime so I can make delicious soups like this. Here’s a fun video on Dasani Facebook page showing you how!

Enjoy my easy-peasy Creamy Corn & Butternut Squash Soup — great as a make-ahead meal or a yummy Thanksgiving soup. By the way, the longer it sits the better the flavor develops.

What you’ll do:
Drizzle about 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot and set heat on medium. Add in the onions and toss. When they get soft after a couple minutes, add in the squash and garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and let sit while you take the kernels off the corn. Add the corn from 3 of the cobs to the pot along with the broth. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Very carefully, transfer the soup to a blender and in batches puree and return to the pot. Season with the cinnamon and cayenne. Taste and season as necessary. Keep the soup on low heat.
Serve warm and you can swirl with some vegan yoghurt if you want to be fancy 😉

Ugh, today is one of those days I woke up with a scratchy throat… It’s the worst! It’s not sick, but it’s not well… I find there is only one thing to eat on a day like today: soup! Here is one of my all time favorite soups! This tomato bisque is hearty, satisfying and packed with flavor! It’s also packed with Lycopene and antioxidants! It’s delish on it’s own, but you could serve it with toasted baguettes or your favorite grilled sandwich.

Roasted Tomato Bisque

Ingredients

About 4 pounds tomatoes (I used a mix of sugar plum, roma and campari), quarter the larger ones and leave the small ones whole

10 cloves garlic

Drizzle olive oil, for roasting

Drizzle balsamic vinegar

Kosher or sea salt to taste

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 cup vegetable broth

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup water

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (if you like it chunky)

Salt and pepper to taste

Several leaves basil, shredded (garnish)

Time estimates

Prep time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Directions

First you have to roast the tomatoes and garlic. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Toss the halved or quartered tomatoes and the peeled garlic in some olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a big pinch of salt. Lay on the cookie sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes or until they just start to brown. (The entire house will smell incredible when they are ready.)

While your tomatoes are doing their thing, heat a large pot on medium low on the stove. Pour in a few rounds of olive oil and the diced onions. Then cook them till translucent. There is a phrase for this in Italian. It’s “devi uccidere la cipolla” It means “You must kill the onion.” The theory is you have to cook it so much you have pulled all the life out of it.

When your onion is “dead” and your tomatoes are roasted, pour the tomatoes, garlic and all the juice from the pan into the pot. Stir and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Now you need to transfer the tomatoes and onions into a blender and blend till smooth. This works best if you do it in batches. Then run the liquid through a strainer and back into the pot. Add the broth and water. Season to taste with a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt.

It was a dark and stormy day yesterday in Los Angeles and it was perfect for making a big pot of soup! I hadn’t made tortilla soup in ages and had a sudden craving, so voila, tortilla soup for all The bright flavors in this soup are sure to warm anyone in chilly weather! This recipe is a result of a lot of trial and error and is super easy to adjust. To make this a meaty version add in some shredded roasted chicken at the end.

Tortilla Soup

Serves 6

What you’ll need:

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced (I take the seeds and ribs out of mine)

1 tbsp. cumin

1 28oz. can of diced tomatoes

4 cups water (more if necessary)

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

1 tsp. chili powder

1 ear of corn, kernels removed

1 14oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 lime, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

diced avocado

green onions, chopped

tortilla chips, crushed or tortillas, sliced and baked to crisps

What you’ll do:

In a large stock pot on medium heat, saute the onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin in a little olive oil. When the onions are soft, add in the tomatoes, water, bouillon cubes, and chili powder. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the corn and beans and let simmer again for about 5 minutes. Add in the lime juice and season to taste. Serve warm with the garnishes of your choice.

Even though it’s a delightful 75 degrees in California, I just got back from two weeks in the frozen New York City (yes, that has been why my posts have been sparse!) and I was in need of a good stick to your bones, comfy, cozy winter soup! This concoction of most of what was in my refrigerator turned out fabulous and is definitely going in the go-to recipe pile! ps yes those are carrots in the soup, they are heirloom purple, orange, and white carrots I got from the farmers market 😉

Comfy, Cozy Lentil Soup

Serves 8

What you’ll need:

1 medium onion, diced

3-6 small to medium carrots, sliced

2 small (or 1 big) leeks, sliced (light part only)

32 oz. vegetable broth

2 cups water (plus some if needed)

4 oz. lentils, rinsed

1/4 tsp. oregano

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced and halved

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

14 oz. white beans

2 cups of fresh spinach, sliced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

In a large pot, saute the onions, carrots, and leeks in a few tablespoons of olive oil until the onion is just soft (about 2 minutes) on medium heat. Add in the vegetable broth and 2 cups of water. Add the lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add in the oregano, mushrooms, and garlic. Let cook covered for about 15 minutes. When the lentils are soft, add in the beans, spinach, and parsley. Stir to wilt and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm and enjoy!

I love this time of year because there are so many beautiful vegetables at the market! Today there was the most gorgeous corn; naturally I had to get it. And I can't stop eating vegetable puree soups… so of course the result is this creamy corn soup!

Creamy Corn Soup

Serves 8

What you'll need:

1 medium onion, diced

1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced

1 lb. of corn, zipped (set the amount of one ear aside)

2 cups of vegetable stock

4 cups (or more) water

1/4-1/2 tsp. paprika

a dash or more of cayenne pepper

a handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)

1 scallion (or chives), chopped

salt and pepper to taste

What you'll do:

In a large soup pot over medium heat saute the onion in a little olive oil. When they start to get soft, add in the pepper, spices, and all the corn, but about one ear. Saute another minute then add in the broth and water. Allow the soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add more water if too much evaporates. Using an immersion blender or blender, puree the soup and return to the pot. Add in the last ear of corn and cilantro. Season to taste.

I love parsnips! If you are not sure what they are, they are those things in the vegetable section that look like giant white carrots. They taste like a combo of carrots, parsley, and celery to me and I think they are super yummy!

I've also kinda been obsessed with white food right now. So clean and pretty

Parsnip Soup

Serves 4

What you'll need:

1/2 stick of butter (real or vegan)

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced

3 medium size red potatoes, peeled and diced

5-6 cups of water

Salt to taste

What you'll do:

Melt the butter in a large pot and add in the diced onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions get pretty soft. Add in the sliced parsnips and saute until they get a little soft. This takes about 10 minutes. Next add in the potatoes, toss together and add in 5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 30 minute or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Working in batches, blend the soup in the blender until smooth. Return to the pot and season more with salt and add more water if you need to thin it out. I finish the soup with a drizzle of tasty olive oil and some pan fried shallots.

The idea of doing gourmet wholesome food on a budget is something that's been on my mind lately. After lots of thinking I decided: yes, it's a challenge, but is it impossible? no it's not. I thought I'd start off easy on this journey by making some soup. So for this delicious Italian inspired soup that feeds 8, I spent a whopping $7.37! If you are feeding less than 8 people, don't stress, soup freezes really easily!

I decided to name this soup Italian Tricolore Soup because I was inspired by the tricolore salad. Tricolore means 3 colors which consist of red, green and white (to match the Italian flag) lettuces in salad. So, why can't I make a red, green and white soup? PS it was great! Bonus: it is vegan and really good for you!

Italian Tricolore Soup

Serves 8

What you'll need:

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

1 leek, trimmed and sliced

5 garlic cloves, chopped

4 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 22 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 cup of vegetable stock

a spash of red wine

2-3 big handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped

1 can of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

What you'll do:

In a large stock pot, drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom and turn on medium low heat. Add in the onion, leek, and garlic. Saute just until soft. Add in the mushrooms, toss together and add in a splash of red wine. Add the can of diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and 2-3 cups water. Cover the pot and let the soup come to a soft boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally and add more water is it starts evaporating. Before you serve, stir in the beans and spinach. Serve warm and enjoy! This would be great with a piece of super crusty bread!

Everyone knows I LOVE carrot soup! It's one of my favorite things and I can eat it by the potful. I always eat it at Champs Elysees in Beverly Hills. They make it so delicious! I was a little intimidated to try and make it myself, but I have to say, it's one of my favorite things I've ever made. I like my carrot soup to taste like carrots. So many people try to cover that delicious carrot flavor by piling on herbs, spices and adding lots of ingredients. I decided to try to make mine really simple. The rich flavor from the butter, a great base from the onions, the creaminess of the potatoes really let the carrots shine.

Usually when I start working on creating a recipe, it takes a few tries to get it right, but I have to say first time out of the gate and I'm not changing a thing! The ingredients are simple and the flavor is delish! I hope you enjoy as much as I do : )

Carrot Soup

Serves 4

What you'll need:

1 stick of butter (real or vegan)

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced

3 medium size red potatoes, peeled and diced

5-6 cups of water

Salt to taste

What you'll do:

Melt the butter in a large pot and add in the diced onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions get pretty soft. Add in the sliced carrots and saute until they get a little soft. Took about 10 minutes. Next add in the potatoes, toss together and add in 5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 30 minute or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Working in batches, blend the soup in the blender until smooth. Return to the pot and season more with salt and add more water if you need to thin it out.

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm! I made this recently in these adorable mini pots for my sisters baby shower {yup, another one. More on that later this week}, but this soup is wonderful on any occasion! Roasting the tomatoes first makes this soup packed full of flavor! Need a tutorial on roasting tomatoes? You’re lucky I posted one last week : )

Enjoy this soup with a garlic bread, grilled cheese, or just by itself is enough.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Serves 4-6

What you’ll need:

about 4 pounds tomatoes {I used a mix of sugar plum, roma and campari}, quarter the larger ones and leave the small ones whole

First you have to roast the tomatoes and garlic. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookies sheet with parchment paper or foil. Toss the halved or quartered tomatoes and the peeled garlic in some olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a big pinch of salt. Lay on the cookie sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes or until they just start to brown. {the entire house will smell incredible when they are ready}

While your tomatoes are doing their thing, heat a large pot on medium low on the stove. Pour in a few rounds of olive oil and the diced onions. Then cook them till translucent. There is a phrase for this in Italian. It’s “devi uccidere la cipolla” It means “You must kill the onion”. The theory is you have to cook is so much you literally have pulled all the life out of it.

When your onion is “dead” and your tomatoes are roasted, pour the tomatoes, garlic and all the juice from the pan into the pot. Stir and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Now you need to transfer the tomatoes and onions into a blender and blend till smooth. This works best if you do it in batches. Then run the liquid through a strainer and back into the pot. Add the broth and water. Season to taste with a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt.

If you’d like your soup more chunky, add the can of diced tomatoes and if you like it creamier add some heavy cream gradually till you get the consistency that you like.